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“Exactly, and last year we lost three truckloads of money to the Russians because we reacted too slowly. So I’m staying here for a few weeks to make sure we have eyes everywhere.”

Santino doesn’t reply immediately, but I can almost hear the cogs in his head turning as he searches for a reason to justify his anger. Failing to come up with one, he sighs loudly. “And the Yakuza?”

“Alto was taking too long, so I went to the general directly. We had sushi and I’ve got a meeting with the Chairman.”

“What?!”

“It’s like I told you, Father. I get shit done.”

“When is this meeting?”

“Soon. The Chairman is out of the county, but he’ll be back next week and then we’ll set a date and time.”

Silence drags on for a long moment, then Santino clears his throat and I hear glass clinking. “Good work, son.” Then the line goes dead.

Hearing my father call me son should fill me with delight and pride, but it just makes my stomach flip in disgust. I’ve spent most of my life worming closer to that monster, and finally my goal is within touching distance.

But now I have Jasmine to think about.

Beautiful, distracting Jasmine. Telling her the truth about my mother was a risk, but she met the story with such support that I’m sure she’ll have no problem with my end goal for my family. But what if our plans stop aligning? She’s been cagey about her true plans for her family outside of finding her rescuer, who turned out to be me.

What are the chances?

After she detailed the story to me, I spent a long time trying to recall more details about that night. What was such a pivotal moment in her life was a blip in mine. And I’m paying for it now because every second my mind is empty, I’m thinking about her.

A knock at the door distracts me from mulling over the details once more. Experience has me picking up my gun as I head toward the door, dressed in just loose cotton pants sinceit’s so late. I haven’t ordered takeout, so unless there’s a problem with security, this is an uninvited guest. Tension ripples across my shoulders and I clench my jaw as I reach the door and peer through the peephole.

Jasmine?

I slide the locks back quickly and open the door, keeping the gun in view so she doesn’t think I’m up to anything sinister. “Jasmine? Everything alright?”

She stands there in a tan, double-breasted jacket with her hair scooped up in a loose updo and bright red heels on her feet. When our eyes meet, her dark red lips pull into a warm smile. “I need your help.”

“Anything,” I say without thinking, motioning her inside. “What’s wrong?”

Closing the door behind her, I lead her through to the open-plan lounge that rests against a giant wall of windows overlooking the city. She gasps slightly at the sight and glances over her shoulder at me. Her dark-lined eyes narrow slightly.

“I didn’t know you had a place in the city.”

“It’s the only thing that’s entirely mine,” I reply. “All in my name. All my own money.”

“Wow. It’s…” She glances around the white and black decor, taking in the leather couches, the fluffy white rug spread across the floor, and the adjacent red and gray kitchen. “It all looks brand new.”

“I don’t spend much time here,” I admit as concern grows in my chest. “But what are you doing here? Where are your guards?”

“I gave them the slip.” She turns to face me, and her warm smile turns coy. “I need your help.”

“You said that.” I walk closer. “What do you need?”

Jasmine then grasps her coat and opens it smoothly, revealing her completely naked body. “You.”

Her coat falls from her bare shoulders as she walks toward me with long, slow steps. One hand presses against the middle of my chest, and she walks me backward until the edge of the couch forces me to fall. I land with a grunt, mind blank and utterly stunned.

Holy shit.

That’s a whole lot of woman.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and coming back from Catherine’s place I thought, why not turn my thoughts into reality?”